What the Heart Craves
by Lone Red Rose
Summary: Inuyasha finally admits his feeling to Kagome, but she isn't as happy as she thought she would be. What had happened to her love for Inuyasha? And why couldn't she get Koga off her mind? - Please read & review. Rated R in case of later chapters.
1. The Way It Is

"I love you."

The words had spilled forth from Inuyasha's lips so suddenly that Kagome was certain she was imagining things. After all, one's heart often played tricks upon them. She turned to look at Inuyasha, a brow raised in question. He was so attractive .. his long white hair, those amber eyes ... those adorable dog ears. _Odd_, came a sudden thought. _Whether I was hearing things or not, my heart should be pounding fit to burst._

"Excuse me?" She asked him.

"I love you," he repeated, and it was unmistakable that what she heard was definately what he had said. Her cheeks flushed a soft rose color, and she didn't reply, so Inuyasha continued. "It just struck me a few moments ago how much you truly mean to me, Kagome, and I had to tell you. Please say you feel the same, please."

Oh god. He was looking at her with puppy-dog eyes, he really meant what he was saying. Kagome looked around sharply, where had the others got to?

"I told them to shove off for a few hours," Inuyasha announced, as if reading her thoughts. Reluctantly, she forced herself to look into those eyes of his. They were filled with love- for _her_?- as she had once, not very long ago, hoped they would one day. He reached out a hand and lay it gently upon hers. The touch was soothing, except when the unexpected happened. An image of Koga smiling at her as she cleaned his wounds appeared in her mind's eye. She jerked her hand away from Inuyasha, and got quickly to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she said softly, trying to soothe away the hurt expression in his eye. "But I fear you're too late. I _think_ I love Koga." She turned, and ran stiffly into the forest, leaving a hurting Inuyasha behind to watch her leave.

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Author: I apologise for the shortness of the first chapter. The second chapter shall be up very soon, though, so don't fear! It will be a good deal longer as well. Please read and review!


	2. Happiness At Long Last

It was one of those days. The kind where you felt you just couldn't wake up to greet the day. Everyone had days like this, and Koga was no different. He had spent the better part of the night in a dream, sweet and torturous. It dangled in front of his nose the one thing he wanted above all others, yet felt sure he could never have: Kagome.

Kind, sweet, cheerful Kagome. The human girl that had stolen his heart and haunted him every moment of every god damned day. For all his confident talk, calling Kagome 'his woman.' His heart sunk whenever he spoke the words. He saw the way Dog Turd looked at Kagome when he thought no one was looking, and it felt like a heart to the chest every time he saw it.

He stretched, not yet opening his eyes, clinging to the remnaints of dream-Kagome. Alas, it was like tring to hold water in a cup with a big hole in its bottom, and it slipped away from him.

At last he knew he couldn't pretend that when he opened his eyes, his sweet Kagome would be next to him, cuddled up to him. What he _did_ see was undeniably a shock. Kagome _was_ next to him, though she was sitting and lying down. She watched him intently, seeming to never blink. There was something about her gaze that disturbed him, though. It held deep, deep confusion.

"Hello Koga," she said softly, carefully. She made no move to explain why she was sitting there, watching him as he slept.

"Where's Dog Turd?" His question was rude, he knew it, but he was tired still and didn't feel particularly fond of having to talk to Inuyasha.

"I ... ran from him. He didn't follow." The answer was short, and quite vague to the tired Koga, but he sat bolt upright, concerned for his love.

"What did he do to you?" He demanded angrily. If Dog Turd had hurt his Kagome in anyway-

"He told me that he loved me," came the soft reply.

Koga's anger faded swiftly, to be replaced by deep sorrow. That was it, then. "You must be overjoyed," his voice sounded flat and hollow even to him. Kagome probably came to tell me that she can never be mine, that I have no hopes to ever be with her, because she loves Dog Turd. There's no other explaination. _Then why did she run from him?_ Inquired a hopeful little voice at the back of his mind. _Surely she would use the phrase 'I ran from him.'_

"Not so much, Koga," a faint glimmer of a smile crept across her features, but faded almost as quickly. "When he touched my hand, all I could think about was you, Koga. You smiling at me as I cleaned your wounds ... I ran. I couldn't stay with Inuyasha, the hurt in his eyes was just too much."

He gaped at her, disbelieving. He couldn't think of what to say. What _could_ he say? His mind was rejecting this scenario. It _had_ to be a dream, it had to.

She drew in a deep breath, looking straight into those impossibly blue eyes of his. It was in that instant he knew it to be true, and joy swelled within him like a bubble. "Koga, I ... I love you. Would you possibly consider me as your wolf mate?"

A laugh of pure happiness escaped his mouth as he lept to is feet, gripping Kagome by the hands and pulling her up into his embrace. "Of course we'll be mates, Kagome. You needn't even have asked."

His words calmed her considerably, her inner turmoil beginning to evaporate as Koga held her. Everything would be right now. No Inuyasha to confuse and hurt her, ever again.

It was unfortunate for the happy couple that Inuyasha _had_ followed Kagome, and was at this very moment watching them, seething in anger. It couldn't end this way for Kagome and him. It _wouldn't_.

Inuyasha meant every word of that.

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Author: Well, here's another chapter. Again, not as long as I meant it to be, but it's longer than the first chapter and I'm really quite fond of this chapter. Thanks to all those who read and reviewed my first chapter, and I hope you'll do the same for this one. Don't worry, the next chapter will be up soon. 'Til then, toodles.


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